Jesson well back

Press, 28 August 1978, Page 28

Jesson well back

NZPA staff correspondent London The pace and experience of European riders was too much for the below-strength New Zealand team in the 183.5 km world amateur road cycling championship race on West Germany’s cruel Nurburgring circuit on Saturday. Of the New Zealand quartet of Paul Jesson, Roger Sumich, Anthony Cuff and Jack Swart only Jesson finished, and he was more than 40 places behind the Swiss who dominated the sprint finish. But the New Zealand manager, Mr Bill Main, said Jesson rode well and only dropped off the hot pace set by the leading Europeans with one of the eight laps still to go. “It’s a very gruelling

course and Paul did well,] i but he was no match for the] top guys in the field,” Mr; : Main said. i Sumich, Cuff and Swart —( i the latter two jpst track : riders in the championship I in support of Jesson — : pulled out when the bunch I pace got too much for them. Jesson for a while rode with the Commonwealth . champion, Philip Anderson • (Australia), but even he was [ outclassed. i Gilbert Glaus, of Switzer- ; land, won the world charn- : pionship in a thrilling finish ! from Krzystok Sujka, of Poland. Another Swiss, Stefan , . Mutter, took third place. The bunch of 34 remaining ] ’ riders caught and passed ) t Theo Derooy, of the Nether- ] i lands, 100 m from the finish i ; after the Dutchman had ' broken away 3km from the ' ; line. Mutter was the first to i

I catch Derooy, but could not vvithstand the finish of his I team-mate and the Pole. None of the New Zealand I road riders at Edmonton, the bronze medallist, Gary Bell, Vern Hanaray, Blair Stockwell or Stephen Cox, went on to the world championships. New Zealand’s Bruce Biddle, the Commonwealth champion eight years ago, and fourth (later promoted to third) in the Munich Olympic road race, will ride in the professional championship event on the same course today.